Oleksii Reznikov said the need for longer-range weapons continues to outstrip Ukrainian demand for shorter-range systems as the war shifts primarily to an artillery battle, and more will be needed if they are to recapture territory lost to Russia’s February invasion .  24.

“We have to renew our platoons and change them and make replacements because we also have a lot of casualties,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “We expect more armored vehicles, more weapons from our partners. We need to rebuild some directions and renew our fortifications and design a new operational strategy.”

Rescue workers over rubble in Chasiv Yar, in a photo released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Sunday.

          Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Shutterstock

He said the M142 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, the long-range launchers known as Himars, had “changed the game”, allowing Ukraine to target Russian forces in the northeastern city of Izyum, but added: “The war is grim. .. We need more. We need it fast.” After some early hesitation over concerns that the systems could be used by Ukrainian forces against Russian soil, reluctantly drawing the US into the fray, Washington said it would initially send four Himars to Ukraine and train Ukrainian forces to use them. These advanced systems are mobile launchers capable of hitting targets from a maximum range ranging from about 60 kilometers to nearly 500 kilometers, depending on the type of ammunition used. Russian officials have sharply criticized the US decision to procure the Himari, saying Washington is adding fuel to the fire and threatening to retaliate if the systems are used to target Russian territory.

An injured woman received medical attention on Saturday in Konstantinovka after a military attack.

          Photo: Emanuele Satolli for The Wall Street Journal

Ukrainian and US officials said Ukraine also used US-supplied Harpoon missiles to take out a Russian supply ship in the Black Sea – key to their ability to retake the strategic Snake Island. “We had to convince them, show them proof,” Mr. Reznikov said. “In the Izyum case we were precise [in targeting] a Russian command center for aerial operations. It was really accurate. Our partners saw it and said, “You passed the test.” Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region have been outgunned and outgunned by Russian forces, who have made gradual progress capturing territory in recent weeks. Ukraine is pressing its allies to provide longer-range missiles that can be used with the Himars, known as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers. Washington has so far not agreed. “The Russians are using their MLRS, which can travel 120 kilometers,” Mr. Reznikov said, referring to the Russian-made multiple launch missile systems. “So we should have something a little more: 150 [kilometers]. We’ll get there.” In addition to long-range weapons, at the top of Mr Reznikov’s wish list are more armored vehicles, including tanks, as well as more unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, particularly as Ukraine steps up naval operations to combat Russian ships in its waters. Black Sea, which today are responsible for the blockade that prevents Ukraine’s critical grain reserves from reaching the world market. He said drones, including those sent by the US and other partners, are constantly jammed by Russia and lack the anti-jamming software needed to gain the upper hand. This month, the Pentagon announced $820 million in new military aid to Ukraine that includes advanced medium- to long-range air defense systems and anti-aircraft radars to respond to Russia’s heavy use of long-range strikes in the war. Mr Reznikov described the US-deployed National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, which can hit targets 100 miles away, as Ukraine’s “next Easter cake”. However, since the Nasams batteries can only cover a city or an object, Mr Renizkov said it would be important to combine them with alternative modern air defense systems promised by other Western partners.

A school building, seen through a window, was damaged in a Russian military strike on Sunday in Kharkiv.

          Photo: STRINGER/REUTERS

A woman stood outside a house Saturday in Konstantinovka, moments after the cluster munitions hit.

          Photo: Emanuele Satolli for The Wall Street Journal

He said shorter-range missiles that were once critical to the fight – such as the US FGM-148 Javelin missile system, the British-made NLAW or the MILAN-2 anti-tank systems from France and Italy – are still needed. but “no longer the priority” given the changing nature of the conflict in long-range artillery warfare. Mr Reznikov said Russia appeared to be taking an “operational pause” in its offensive in the Donbass, comprising the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, to regroup and resupply. He said this is not necessarily an opportunity for Ukrainian forces, which need rest and need to exchange combat units and resupply. On Saturday night, Russian forces destroyed an apartment building in Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, a strike that left 15 dead and five wounded, according to Ukraine’s emergency service. The Russian Defense Ministry said in its evening briefing on Saturday that its forces had hit an arms depot in the city. Elsewhere, Russian rockets hit makeshift homes used by the Ukrainian military near the village of Konstantinovka, collapsing part of a five-story brick building where rescuers spent the day digging for survivors. Local officials said at least 15 people were confirmed dead and another 24 were still unaccounted for under the rubble. Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai said this week that the recently captured cities of Severodonetsk and Lysychansk were still reeling, with thousands of civilians now living under Russian occupation. He said more than 300,000 people have fled the Luhansk region alone. In the northeastern region of Kharkiv on Sunday, Russian forces fired rockets into Osnovyansk and Slobodsky districts, destroying a school and hitting several residential buildings. Shelling also continued in Izyum, Bogodukhov, Chuguev and the city of Kharkiv, the governor of the region, Oleh Synyehubov, said on his official Telegram channel. Mr. Synyehubov appealed to residents to be careful, noting that Kharkiv’s “neighbor,” Russia, is indiscriminately shelling the area. Mr Reznikov described the fighting in Kharkiv as a problem for Ukraine, saying its location along the border allowed Russian forces to fire long-range systems into the region from Russian territory, often at the expense of civilians and populated areas. “It’s a problem,” he said. “Our anti-missile systems can fight ballistic missiles and cruise missiles – it’s not 100%, but we can get them. But we cannot close the sky against their MLRS.” —Yuliya Chernova and Alan Cullison contributed to this article. Write to Vivian Salama at [email protected] Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8